Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Opena iPhone Case with Beer Opener

A gift for the iPhone user who has everything

Perhaps you’ve spent long sleepless nights struggling with some of life’s biggest issues. I know I have, and especially with this REALLY big one: How do I open my beer with my iPhone? Thankfully my insomnia was cured, and my dreams all made to come true, when I was introduced to the mighty Opena, the world’s first iPhone case and bottle opener, all in one perfect package.

Two enterprising blokes (I’m calling them blokes because they come from the Land Down Under, Australia) called Rob Ward and Chris Peters, came up with the smashing idea--reaching out for funding with crowd-sourcing through Kickstarter—and got it financed in nothing flat. The product has just hit the market, and it’s a fun gift for anyone who likes to enjoy a spontaneous cold one. The simple, but tough injection-molded ABS plastic hardcase has a little bump-out on the back where the stainless steel opener lives. Stick your thumb in the round hole, slide that chunk of metal out, and you are ready to pop open a couple of coldsies for your mates after a grueling snowshoe slog or hot summer hike.

My first concern with this thing was that it would allow the user to inadvertently load up the 30-pin connection with their favorite amber liquid, but somehow, strangely, the connector is completely safe, even when opening a slightly agitated frosty boy. The case, of course, has all the appropriate cutouts so your accessories will work, and the metal opener itself is held away from your phone inside the case, to prevent scratching. Cheers!